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Friday, October 10, 2014

Central Berkshire Rocks

Two day trips occupied me during the last couple weeks. First to Centennial Rock in the Northern Berkshires, then late last week to a foothill of Mount Greylock's: Rounds Rock.

Hard to believe that eight years have already passed since my last visit to Centennial Rock. This 'sister rock' to better known Brown's Boulder, was tough to read on that last visit. Now, not much remains of the inscription. I imagine Brown's has fared no better, as it's been probably over a dozen years since my previous visit, and at time it was well on its way to being illegible. Both are the work of Captain John Brown from Cheshire. One to commemorate the American Centennial, the other: a poem of unrequited love for Susan Baker, owner of the Baker's Quarry Cave and surroundings.

Rounds Rock is an interesting little 'hillock' that offers a relatively short circuit trail to the summit and back. Around the early 1960's, a regional caving publication had a list of caves, with a reported "Rounds Rock Cave' and that being just a man-sized pothole. There is a slab near one of the summit overlooks and one could fit an adult into it. Looks to be another reference lost to time.

But getting 'lost' on the return allowed me to check out some prominent ledges with porkie dens, and one big slab of rock that had peeled off a nearby, second ledge. A couple other pieces of talus were scattered about and probably a few more porkie 'caves' in there.